Lapel protector



.Aug.9,1932.. M, QKOHLER 1,870,737

LAPEL PRQTECTOR Filed Feb. 15, 1932 Patented" Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED srArss PATEN- FFICE Y i MAX N. KOHLER, OF NEW ORLEANS, II'JOU'ISIANAY LAPEL PROTECTOR Application led February 151932. Serial No. 593,158.-

The present invention relates to improvements in lapel protectors and more particularly relates to a device which pressing and cleaning establishments may apply to the .a lapels of a coat after the same has been pressed for the purpose of retaining the neat and pressed appearance of the lapels during the period of transit to the customers home.

' In order to deliver a spotlessly clean and pressed suit, particularly the coat of the. suit after it is ironed or pressed by the maintenance plant, it is necessary to slip the customary suit bag over the coat and/or suit. In placing this bag over the garment the left i., and right lapels of the coat (usually ironed perfectly) are crushed by the use of the bag rom the time it is applied over the garment at the laundry or cleaning establishment; and invariably these lapels are forced out of line by the pressure of the bag. This causes dissatisfaction to the patron because of the y apparent uneven appearance of the right and left lapels.

It is therefore an important object of `the 5 invention to provide an improved lapel protector which will maintain and preserve the lapels not only in correct position but in the same smooth and neat appearance as they have when received directly from the ironer ,L, and to avoid any disheveled or mussed condition or appearance in the lapels of the garment.

It is a further object of the invention to secure the above advantages in an extremely 3f, simple and economical device, which could afford under present economical conditions to be used by laundries and cleaning establishments without increasing the costof garment pressing and cleaning.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto lIn the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Flgure 1 is a front elevation showing a bag and a garment with the improved device 1n 5u place upon the lapels of the latter.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the im` prolved lapel protector taken on an enlarged sca e.

Figure 3 Shows the same in its condition of use asapplied to the lapels indicated in outlines, and

. Figure 4 isa top edge view of the improved lprotector withV the coat indicated in dotted mes. Y

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 5 represents a mans coat or similar garment having the lapels 6; and 7 represents a bag which is at the present time customarily employed by laundries to slip downr wardly over the garment after the same has been pressed and cleaned and whichprotects the garment from dustfand from' becoming soiled and mussed during'the time of its delivery Vto the customers house. The hanger 8 which supports the suitor coat extends up through anopening in the top of thefbag7 so that the entire unit may be supported yby the hanger 8. Y

" In accordance with the present invention,

l provide a protector for holding the lapels V6 in a flat condition againstmussingor col'- lapse. Thisl device is preferably made from abody 9 of'a material such4 as cardboard,

sheet metal orthe like possessing certain inn herent resiliency whereby thetongues which are fashioned from the sheetbody will be lenabled to gripv the lapels, holdithe device lapels in proper rebody member 9 or out of the plane which adjacent tongues occupy. For instance, as indicated in Figure 3, the intermediate tonguesv 12 only are-bent forwardly out of the plane lapels upon relatively opposite sides.

of the sheet body member 9; the longer end tongues 10 and 11 being left in the Plane of said sheet body member 9. The alternate tongues are ordinarily bent in opposite directions in order that they may engage the For instance, as shown the two longer tongues l0 and 11 at each side of the device underlie the lapels 6, While the intermediate shorter tongues 12 are engaged with the outer faces of the lapels. The ends of the lapels are rounded as indicated at 15 in order to facilitate the engagement of the tongues withV the lapels and to avoid the catching of the s fabric of the garment in 'anycorner or sharp portions. j I

When the device is applied as indicated in Figures l and 8 promptly afterthe pressing of the garment, the lapels will be maintained apart and against collapsing and they will be kept in a fiat condition and generallywill resist any forces, such as the bag or Y other pressure which tend to dishevely and muss that portion of the garment. The 4device has a tendency to cause the lapels and the rest of the garment to maintain a correctly shaped condition as received from the presser to the end that, when delivered to Y the customer, the garment may be more attractive and will tend to hold its press longer.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the detailsof construction and design of the above specically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is: ,Y A lapel protector, comprising a body member formed of sheet cardboard material possessing a certain inherent resiliency, three or more tongues projecting in opposite hori zontal directions from the body member and being connected to the bodymember at the inner ends thereof but separated from one another along their adjacent longitudinal edges, the -two end tonguesgat each sideY being longer and'separated by anjintermediate shorter tongue, said tongues having outer" rounded edges, thev intermediate tongues i' y adapted to be bent forwardly out of the plane Y:

of theV longer end tongues to enable the end tongues at each side to underlie'the lapels of Y i Y a coat while the intermediate shorter tongues engage upon the outer faces of the lapels.`

, MAX N. KOHLER. 

